This week, I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy, and my episode is going to lean into that as I’m reviewing a story that takes a really clever approach to the fantasy genre. I’m talking about This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, a novel with an Isekai (or portal fantasy) premise that could be an absolute disaster, or a joy!

The novel follows a protagonist, Maggie, who wakes up inside the world of her favourite unfinished book series. It’s a place where she isn’t a powerful warrior, but she does have two very specific advantages: she can’t stay dead, and she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of how everyone’s story is supposed to end. Whether you’re a fan of epic fantasy or you just enjoy a story that keeps you guessing, it’s a title that’s been getting a lot of attention.

As always, I’ll be sharing my personal thoughts on the book, the world, the characters, and what I thought about the story overall. As always, the review will be completely spoiler-free, so you can go into This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me completely fresh if you decide to give it a go for yourselves.

To round things off, my second, shorter review is for the 2024 mystery novel How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. Offering a really interesting contrast to the dark fantasy that comes before it!

So pop the kettle on, get comfy with your drink of choice, and let’s talk books.